Bruxism is common behaviour for a person who feels a sense of anxiety or stress, it's usually done during sleep. Bruxism is essentially grinding your teeth together.
The results? Your teeth slowly wearing down and sometimes even away.
Main Causes Of Bruxism
The main causes of tooth grinding include:
- Sleeping disorders
- Jaw posture
- Poor airway
- Change in jaw position
- An abnormal bite/tooth positioning
- Missing or crooked teeth
- Trauma
- Emotional issues
- Development issues
What Effects Does Bruxism Have?
Whereas they only seem minor, the effects of grinding your teeth can be very serious and cause long-term problems. These include:
- Local muscular pain
- Headaches
- Loss of tooth structure
- Gum recession
- Loose teeth
- Shortening of teeth
- Tooth sensitivity
- Cracked and broken teeth
- Damage to the bone structure of the jaw joint
What Can You Do To Help?
So, what can you do to avoid the risk of further tooth grinding? And how do you fix your teeth afterwards?
If you find yourself asking this then we recommend that you continue reading.
Treating stress and anxiety
If the tooth grinding is a result of stress and anxiety, exercises such as deep breathing, yoga, and massages can help relieve the feelings and reduce the urge to grind your teeth. Relaxing before bed and getting a good night’s sleep is also essential.
Mouthguard
For those who suffer from sleeping disorders, that means they grind their teeth during sleep, choose to wear a mouth guard. The plastic guard will protect the upper and lower teeth from colliding with each other. Though it’s not a permanent fix, it does help to lessen the effects on the bone, muscle, and tissues in your mouth.
So, if you feel that you have been grinding your teeth, then you should speak to your dentist or visit Oldham Orthodontics as they will be able to discuss your options.
You can contact us today on 01616 220 987 or email info@oldhamorthodontics.co.uk